Billy Bowie revels as driving force behind Kilmarnock’s renewal

He invested out of emotion, but pragmatism underpins his involvement.

Decisions will be measured for their long-term impact as much as for immediate concerns. One of the consortia that made an offer to Johnston last year was considering moving away from Rugby Park.

The stadium’s upkeep costs are extensive, and there is little likelihood of it ever being filled again – the Ayrshire derby is expected to attract more than 7,000 – but Bowie believes that the club needs to retain its home.

Supporters can be attracted back and Bowie is keen to ensure that fans in straitened circumstances will receive tickets.

During his own childhood, his parents could not afford to take him or his four siblings to games, or buy strips. His involvement with the club is rooted in his own experiences, as well as strongly-held belief that local business owners ought to contribute to the welfare of their community.

“We’ve just got to cut our cloth to suit,” he adds. “We’re engaging the fans that we’ve got – we had 4,100 at the Motherwell game, which is about 1,000 more than last year – we just need to keep working away at trying to get the crowds back.

“We’ve had the gutters all fixed, we’re fixing handrails, we’re putting in a clock, new dugout seats, and the generosity of local businesses has made that all happen.

“It’s the oldest football club in Scotland and it would be a shame to move it from here.

“With the winters that we get now – believe it or not they make my business a lot of money – we need surfaces like [the new artificial one] to guarantee games. There are all sorts of different training sessions, we’ve got our own youth sides here, and they play all their games here now. The place has a buzz to it.

“I’m convinced that we could have put that pitch in, told nobody and it would have taken two or three games for them to work out it was artificial. It looks like a nice green pitch.”

Bowie is passionate about Kilmarnock, the club and the town. Six of his articulated lorries carry the Kilmarnock colours, although this can occasionally bring unwanted attention for the drivers. Like everything he does, there is a purpose to the initiative.

“We hired one to a company in Inverness and they said they were getting a fair bit of abuse after we beat Ross County,” Bowie said.

“We’ve had a driver who was parked in Dundee overnight and there was some banter with Dundee United fans. These trucks out on the road are big billboards and it’s trying to raise awareness.”

Kilmarnock need Billy Bowie, for all that he brings to the club.